Ministry of Culture Selects 18 Centers for "Cultural and Arts Center Specialization Support Program"

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Korea Cultural and Arts Centers Association, announced on July 10 that it has selected a total of 18 cultural and arts centers as the final recipients of support under the 2025 Cultural and Arts Center Specialization Support Program. Of these, 8 centers were chosen for the "Brand Planning Type" and 10 for the "New Production Type."

The Cultural and Arts Center Specialization Support Program is a new initiative launched this year by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to strengthen the role and competitiveness of cultural and arts centers as hubs for revitalizing regional culture and the arts. The program consists of two types: the "Brand Planning Type," which supports centers in building their own unique brands by developing performance festivals that utilize existing works and reflect the characteristics or strengths of their regions; and the "New Production Type," which supports the creation and production of new works that specialize in local cultural resources (such as history, notable figures, or nature) or specific genres (such as theater, music, or traditional arts). The program will provide a total of 2.5 billion won in national funding.

For the "Brand Planning Type," 18 centers (programs) applied, and 8 were selected. The selected centers?Chuncheon Puppet Theater (Gangwon), Ansan Arts Center (Gyeonggi), Gimhae Arts and Sports Center (Gyeongnam), Haman Culture and Arts Center (Gyeongnam), Sacheon Culture and Arts Center (Gyeongnam), Sejong Arts Center (Sejong), Korea Sound Culture Hall (Jeonbuk), and Jeju Art Center (Jeju)?are scheduled to hold performances by December this year.

For the "New Production Type," a total of 61 centers applied. In the first round of screening in March, 17 centers were selected and received support for showcase production costs. Then, through the second round of showcase screenings held from July 7 to 9, 10 centers were finally selected: Guri Art Hall (Gyeonggi), Dasan Art Hall (Gyeonggi), Uijeongbu Arts Center (Gyeonggi), Eoul Art Center (Daegu), Daejeon Arts Center (Daejeon), Haeundae Cultural Center (Busan), Kkotbawi Cultural Center (Ulsan), Boseong County Culture and Arts Center (Jeonnam), Jeju Culture and Arts Center (Jeju), and Jeungpyeong Culture Center (Chungbuk).

Among the 8 centers selected for the "Brand Planning Type," Sejong Arts Center has planned "Secret Concert Season 3: Exploring Classical Music," a program specializing in chamber music. This themed concert series will focus on a different instrument?such as harp, flute, or harmonica?in each session, inviting audiences to explore music centered on that instrument. Gimhae Arts and Sports Center will present "Seeing Readings," a program specializing in reading plays, to raise audience awareness of the genre and to produce an original musical for small theaters based on existing reading play repertoires.

Among the 10 centers selected for the "New Production Type," Uijeongbu Arts Center will produce "Dream of the Half Moon," a children's music drama specializing in children's songs. This production will take audiences on a time-travel journey through 100 years of children's song history, conveying the value of children's songs and the sentiments of each era. Jeju Culture and Arts Center will produce the musical "Child of the Whale," which will reinterpret the historical pain of the Jeju 4·3 Incident and the island's natural heritage as a fantasy family play, vividly depicting the harmony between nature and humanity, as well as understanding and unity between generations.

Shin Eunhyang, Director of Arts Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "It is important to strengthen the planning and production capabilities of cultural and arts centers, which are central to the distribution of regional culture and the arts, and to expand cultural enjoyment for local residents through these centers. Through this program, we will discover and support representative programs specialized for each region, establish a virtuous cycle of creation, production, distribution, and consumption, and strengthen the self-sustainability of regional culture and the arts."